She doesn't know
by Lotho's Cute Villainess Minion
Summary: Percy's working in the Prefect's common room, and Penelope comes to talk to him.


The Prefects Common Room is almost empty as the hour grows later and the sky gradually grows darker. All meetings have long since finished, and now only one occupant remains, a quill gripped in one hand, with the other flicking through the yellowing pages of an antique reference book of some form or another. After a long moment of this, the lad drops his quill onto his roll of parchment a little wearily, ignoring the dark blue ink blot that marrs a page clean bar only lines and lines of his careful script.

It isn't long beforePercy Weasleybecomes aware of the pensive gaze of Penelope Clearwater.

"What are you doing here?" He asks in surprise, leaning back in his chair and smiling at her. "I thought I was alone here."

She smiles back. She doesn't seem to have anything to say, but she reaches out and places a hand on his upper arm. He doesn't know why it comforts him, or why he needs comforting, but he does feel a little less stressed now. "Is this just completely random?" As much as he likes her company, he feels nervous if she's around and he has nothing in mind to say or do. They must have the most carefully planned dates of any couple at Hogwarts. He panics when he doesn't know what to do. Or if he's running late. Or if the slightest thing goes wrong. At all.

He panics easily.

Before he knows what is happening, she is in his arms, embracing him in a tight hug. For a moment, he suspects that she's crying, but her eyes are dry and her body is steady. He doesn't understand it, but he hugs her back. He's never understood why she likes hugging him so much. She whispers something in his ear; something indistinct he doesn't quite hear. Then sits up and kisses him. He's never understood why she likes doing that so much, either.

He kisses her back, because that's what you're supposed to do. He doesn't know exactly why it's so appealing.

It's not that he doesn't like it... but does she have to do it so often?

When they part from the kiss, she smiles and rests her head against his shoulder, tightening her embrace around him for a moment. He does the same. He doesn't understand why she's so physical sometimes, but he wants to keep her safe.

"You worry me, sometimes, Percy."

Things like that, he doesn't understand.Why does he worry her? She's always worried about him, but there's rarely anything wrong.

When there is something wrong, she's not around to worry about him. Maybe it's because she's not around. He doubts that, because he doesn't like to be that dependent on people.

He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. She contines anyway.

"You're always working, you so rarely have time for anything else. You don't have to do this many classes, you don't have to spend every minute of your time working to excel. It's changing you, Perce. You're too uptight lately."

She's not one to talk about working hard, he observes. She's a Ravenclaw. She's naturally gifted. She doesn't know what it's like to want to excel, but never be quite good enough.She doesn't know what it's like to work nonstop for a class, only to have someone who barely studied beat you by half a mark. She doesn't know what it's like to be poring over textbooks all night, every night, turning up to class bleary-eyed and still taking more notes than the rest of the class combined, only to come second.

She doesn't know what it's like to be Percy.

He knows he can tell her this, she wants him to tell her this. She wouldn't understand. She'd just say he feels bad because he stresses too much. Worries too much about things.

He doesn't worry too much. He's uneasy about some things, worried about others, but he doesn't worry too much. Other people don't worry enough.

How can he help but worry, he wonders, when he never gets enough done because his girlfriend is always sitting in his lap, hugging him, kissing him? She doesn't want him, just his body. He's not good enough for her. She can beat him without trying. The more he tries, the worse it is when she beats him.

If only he could succeed, he would deserve her. But she won't let him. She's always worrying about him, asking if he's okay.

Of course he's okay. He just wants to be good enough for her. He'll be good enough for her if she leaves him alone.

"I'm fine, Penny. Just a little tired."


End file.
